Dish announces live streaming television with Sling TV
Cable television is at the crossroads of its inevitable evolution. Out of all the major entertainment delivery methods, cable and satellite companies seem to be the slowest to adopt streaming models. TV and Internet are defined as different ways to deliver content. They can be bundled by providers, but distinctly they are different avenues in which content is presented. Dish is looking to buck that trend, it seems, by offering what they are calling a companion to their satellite TV service. Sling TV is an “Over-the-Top” service that will give consumers live streaming TV over the internet. For $20 a month Sling TV customers will be able to watch ESPN, ESPN2, Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel (among others).
What’s great about this service is that it is scheduled to support a slew of Android powered devices at launch. Amazon’s Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Google’s Nexus Player, and Android in general are on the supported list from Dish. Also eligible for Sling TV support are the Roku, Microsoft’s Xbox One, iOS devices, Mac OSX, and PC powered machines. Just download the app and you’re ready to go.
Dish is targeting millennials with this service. Not everyone wants to be pinched into what services they can or cannot have. Add on packs for things like children’s programming and sports start at just $5 a month. No contracts or credit cards are required, and this service can be stopped and started at any time. The drawbacks so far seem to be the lack of DVR or cloud offerings. Dish is trying to combat this be offering an On-Demandish 3-Day replay feature. That is, anything aired in the last 3 days should be viewable. Let the cord cutting begin. What do you think? Are you in the target demo for Sling TV?
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CES 2015: Hexoskin Debuts Line of Connected Biometric Shirts for Kids and Teens [iOS Blog]
Biometric shirt manufacturer Hexoskin today announced its new line of smart shirts for kids and teenagers at CES 2015, allowing coaches and parents to track physical metrics in real-time through an iOS app.
The Hexoskin Junior features built-in sensors inside of a lightweight, water-resistant shirt, with an optimized fit for regulation of moisture and heat. The sensors themselves can track a number of metrics including heart rate, step count, sleep duration, and calories burned, along with advanced statistics like heart rate recovery, acceleration, breathing volume, and sleep.
All of the metrics can be analyzed on Hexoskin’s free mobile app for iOS, which can provide a look at aspects like a user’s heartbeat in real-time, or a running session with GPS data to measure distance. The app and the Hexoskin shirt can also be used to measure an individual’s VO2max level, which is the maximum volume of oxygen that can be used.
The Hexoskin Junior is available by itself for $149.99 or in a starter kit for $379.99 that contains a Bluetooth recording device and USB cable. The Hexoskin recording device is not required to track metrics with the Hexoskin shirt, but it does allow users to store 150 hours of data with low power consumption and is Apple Made for iPhone (MFi) certified. On its own, Hexoskin’s Bluetooth recording device sells for $230.00.
Cyanogen announces CM12 nightlies based on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop
The Cyanogen team stated that there would be “something special” in store for the new year, which as it turns out is the announcement of nightly builds of CyanogenMod 12, which is based on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop. The first rollout of CM12 nightlies is set to commence soon, although the team notes that work on the M release (milestone snapshot, more stable than a nightly but potentially some issues) is 85 percent complete as of now.
SoundCloud Android app updated with Material Design tweaks
SoundCloud is pushing out an update to their Android app that brings Lollipop inspired Material Design elements, a few bug fixes and more.
The SoundCloud app for Android has been a decent conduit to the SoundCloud world of shared audio by amateur and pro alike. As a great tool for smaller musical artists to get their sounds out there, one can set up a decent playlist and enjoy music streaming on their Android device. When you are not in the mood for music, services like Audible also frequent the services, allowing you to listen to books read aloud.
This new update does not bring full Material Design to the SoundCloud app, as they have built a few of their own unique features that are not done justice with a Material Design makeover. The update does bring the Lollipop style notifications.
The full SoundCloud v14.12.18-43 update changelog reads as follows:
- Lollipop design updates (not full material)
- Lollipop notification support
- When paused, artwork is blurred
- Facebook integration update
- Fixed bug that stopped stream paging prematurely
- Added French translation
- Fixed crash on login effecting some Samsung devices running Android v4.2.2
Check for the update or hit the Google Play Store to install your clean and free copy of SoundCloud.
Material Design and Lollipop notifications are nice, but what feature were you really hoping to see in a new SoundCloud update?
Would you pay $1,099 for a Bluetooth speaker that keeps your beer cold?
One of Kickstarter’s biggest successes was Coolest Cooler, a beer cooler and Bluetooth speaker that, inexplicably, raised more than $13 million in funding. Presumably it was that eye-watering figure that prompted Thomas & Darden to try and produce the Kube, which aims to outdo its rival in every way. Firstly, there’s capacity enough to hold two cases of beer or six bottles of Champagne, a Bluetooth range of 50 feet and sound that could be heard above the general cacophony of a CES trade show floor. That, however, is not the most eye-popping thing about this massive device: it’s the price. If the headline hasn’t given it away already, Kube will set you back $1,099.
Features-wise, there’s a wired power connection that charges a battery rated for 20 hours of life, USB for charging your device and a line-in port. The company wouldn’t spill the beans on how the Kube’s room-shaking sound is generated, but presumably it’s some sort of hefty three-way speaker buried beneath the surface. Of course, the intended buyers for this product are people looking to entertain their friends outdoors. You know, the sort of people who can afford to spend $1,099 on a Bluetooth speaker and a beer cooler. It’ll begin shipping around April or May, and the price, which we haven’t mentioned before, is $1,099.
James Trew contributed to this report.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video
AT&T Drive brings new developers and partners on board
AT&T has announced some new things are coming to AT&T Drive, including new apps for automobile manufacturers and a handful of new partners. The connected car platform is a big focus for the wireless carrier, as it will eventually lead to more LTE-enabled devices being active on its network.
Any partners that participated in AT&T’s Developer Summit Hackathon were given early access to the SDK for Drive, which means they’ll be able to get their apps and services onto connected cars sooner. Some of these partners include AetherPal for remote support, Audiobooks.com for listening to digital books, Dash Radio for keeping up with internet radio stations, EventSeeker for finding hot spots in your immediate area, and Glympse, an app known for sharing and keeping up with the locations of people around you.
Not only has AT&T gotten several app partners on board with Drive, but they also announced that they’ve entered a sponsorship agreement with Samsung. It’ll likely be awhile before we see anything solid come from that agreement, but it does mean that Samsung is willing to put some money into getting connected cars on the roads.
Be sure to keep up with the rest of our CES 2015 coverage.
Come comment on this article: AT&T Drive brings new developers and partners on board
Sharp debuts next gen displays powered by Android
CES 2015 has been a busy conference so far. Sharp was not to be left out of the whirlwind that has been the first day. The company announced some pretty great things regarding their new lineup for 4K smart televisions. Sharp debuted SmartCentral 4.0 for Android along with an 85 inch 8K LCD prototype display. This announcement also came with a host of new television displays that will be sure to make a splash when they are released to consumers.
The new line of Sharp displays includes what the company is calling “the highest resolution TV” available with their new Aquos Beyond 4K UHD model. This model pacts in 42 million more pixels than traditional 4K units available on the market today and has a resolution that is reaching 8K. This model will available to the public this calendar year.
Later on at CES, Sharp will unveil their new 70 inch Class Super Slim 4K UHD TV. When they say super slim, they mean super slim. With a depth of less than half an inch and a 4K UHD resolution, this display from Sharp offers a design footprint that will definitely differentiate them from other UHD TV manufacturers in this space. It’s clear that Sharp is going full steam ahead with next generation displays. For more information visit www.sharpusa.com.
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Apple to Begin Offering Unlocked, SIM-Free iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Models in the U.S. Tomorrow
Apple will begin offering unlocked, SIM-free versions of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus starting tomorrow on its online store and at its retail locations, reports 9to5Mac.
Pricing will remain the same alongside the other unsubsidized iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models, with 16/64/128 GB versions of the iPhone 6 selling for $649/$749/$849 respectively, while the 16/64/128GB versions of the iPhone 6 Plus will be available for $749/$849/$949.
Notably, many of the carrier-specific iPhone 6 models sold by Apple have been unlocked since launch when purchased at full retail price, although the company has not been specifically marketing them as such. As with other unlocked devices, the unlocked versions of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will allow users to insert a nano-SIM card from a compatible GSM network for cellular voice, texting, and data connectivity. Apple launched unlocked versions of the iPhone 5s last year in November, which followed the release of carrier-specific models in September.
Sony’s new 128GB Hi-Res Walkman offers excellent audio, for a price
CES 2015 is well underway, at least the press releases are, with all the major players introducing great new products all day. Sony has a great selection of new and updated gear to be proud of, and on the personal audio front they have introduced a new 128GB Walkman Hi-Res Digital Music Player NW-ZX2.
The new Walkman is an Android powered device with a 4-inch TRILUMINOS touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC. That 128GB or internal storage is matched by a microSD expansion slot and battery life is projected at 60 hours while playing MP3 titles, down to 33 hours when playing Hi-res audio.
Audio support is an exhaustive list, including the most popular audio formats that are not protected by copyright. MP3 support runs the gamut of the audio type, with this 60 hours of battery expected with MP3 files at 128kbps. Hi-Res audio includes FLAC, Apple Lossless and AIFF running at up to 192Khz at 24bit.
In addition to the list of supported file types, Sony has highlighted a list of key features, including the S-Master HX digital amplifier, DSEE HX (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine), ClearAudio+, Clear Bass, VPT, an equalizer and more. You are also open to install your favorite media player from the Google Play Store as well, thanks to it running Android as an OS.
By all accounts, Sony has a killer audiophile device here, but you aren’t going to buy the NW-SX2. Your favorite audiophile is probably not going to buy this unit either. Why, you ask? Let me explain.
In the world of Android, most devices strive to launch or update to the latest release of the OS. While this is usually pretty important for your phone or tablet, Sony has a different perspective when it comes to this Walkman NW-SX2, as the unit will ship with Android 4.2 Jellybean.
OK, Android Jellybean is something you may shake your head at and overlook, it isn’t a phone after all. I figured you might say that, so I saved my best argument for last. You and most people out there are not going to purchase the Sony Walkman NW-SX2 because of its price tag. Take a guess. Nope, higher. Higher. That’s right, the ‘best’ personal audio device that Sony has to offer will run you $1200.
Oh, and it does not come with headphones, you’ll need to buy those separately. Head on over to the Sony website for more details.
What do you say, does the iPod Touch, or your old Android device re-purposed as an MP3 player, have anything to worry about in the Sony Walkman NW-SX2?
AIVAnet 